Threshing-machine.



No. 767,184. PATENTED AUG. 9, 1904. L. M. THOMSON. THRESHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 1902.

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L. M. THOMSON.

THRESH'ING MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILBD JULY 7. 1902.

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L. M. THOMSON. THRBSHING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION F ILED JULY 7. 1902.

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THRESHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 1902.

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1 $3 vWITNESEES E- .lNvENTuH UNITED STATES Patented August 9, 1904.

PATENT ()FFICE.

THRESHINGJ-IVIACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,184, dated August9, 1904,

Application filed July 7, 1902. Serial No. 114,676. (No model.)

To all whom, it Duty concern.-

Be it known that I, LUTHER M. THoMsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis Park, county of Hennepin, and State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain Threshers andSeparators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the threshing of grain, my object being theproduction of improved mechanism for that purpose.

To this end my invention consists of certain novel devices andcombinations of devices herein shown and hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1. is a side elevation of myimproved threshingmachine; Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical section; Fig.3, a vertical cross-section taken on the line 3 3; Fig. 4, anothervertical crossseotion taken on the line 4 4; Fig. 5, still anothervertical cross-section taken on the line 5 5; and Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,and 11 details, being detached parts hereinafter described.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A common defect of threshing-machines is their inability to effect acomplete separation of the grain from the straw. This is because some ofthe heads will inevitably be broken from the stalks, escape the teeth ofthe cylinder and concave, (the parts which beat the grain from thestraw,) and will be thrown into the threshed straw, and it is one of thepurposes of my invention to separate these fugitive heads and to sendthem through an auxiliary cylinder and concave, where they are threshedclean. Another common defect of threshing-machines is their inability toeffect a complete separation of the grain from the straw after it hasbeen threshed. This is because many of the grains when forciblyseparated from the straw will be thrown upon the bars of the concave orother parts of the machine and will (through the law of incidence andreflection) rebound upward and into the straw from which they had justbeen separated and with it be carried away and (to a degree, lost, andanother purpose of my in vention is to recover these fugitive grains.

To these and other ends my invention consists of the device hereinshown, described, and claimed, embodying the trucks 1, the frame 2, thecase 3, and the incased operative mechanism.

The trucks 1, frame 2, and case 3 are not unlike those commonly used,hence need no description herein. The cylinder 4 and concave 5 arecommon to all threshing-machines, hence need no description. Somewhatabove and to the rear of the cylinder 4 is located a straw-beater 6,which beater rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow, thepurpose of which is to beatdown the straw as it comes from the cylinder4 and concave 5 and to force it onto a series of similar heaters 77, 89, and 10, which last-named heaters are arranged in anupwardly-inclinedorder, are of different sizes, and rotate a varyingspeed in an opposite direction to the first-named beater 6 The purposeof the four last-named heaters 7 8, 9, and 10 are, first, to beat theloosened grain from the straw, and, second, to keep the straw in a loosecondition for purposes which will hereinafter be set forth. The grainthus loosened and beaten from the straw falls through between the slatsof the grain-conveyer 11, located in the rear of the cylinder 4 andbelow the straw-heaters 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, and onto the inclined floor12, which underlies the grain-conveyer, upon which floor it is drawnupward by the before-mentioned slats of the grain-conveyer 11 anddischarged down a rearwarclly-inclined portion thereof upon the sieve18, through which it falls onto a second inclined floor 14, which floorconducts it to the lower end of the elevator-spout 15. From here it istaken upward by the conveyer 16 and discharged into the measuring device17, from which (after it is measured) it is discharged into a conveyer18 and thence through the spouts 19 into the bags.

Somewhat forward of and underneath the cylinder 4 and concave 5isapartially-incased wind-fan 20, the purpose of which is to blow thestraw and chaff upward and out of the open rear end of the case 3. I I

Below the level of the last-named inclined floor 14, but outside of thecase 3, is located a second or auxiliary cylinder 21 and itsaccompanying concave 22, which is of identically the same constructionas the first-named cylinder and concave 4 and 5, but much smaller. Theirpurpose is to thresh the heads which have escaped the teeth of thefirst-named cylinder and concave, which heads have been separated fromthe straw and chaff through the operation of the straw-beaters 6, 7, 8,9, and and have been carried by the windblast over and off the rear endof the sieve 13.

Below the rear end of the sieve 13 is an inclined trough or chute 23,the purpose of which is to catch the before-mentioned unthreshed heads.The grain threshed from the recovered heads is taken up by an inclinedspout 24 by means of the conveyer 25 and discharged into aninwardly-inclined spout 26, which spout conveys it through the side wallof the case 3 and discharges it on the sieve 13, where it mingles withthe grain threshed by the first-named cylinder and concave 4 and 5.

Aflixed to the rear side of the trough or chute 23 is a wind-board 27,the upper portion of which may be raised or lowered to conform to thestrength of the wind-blast from the second wind-fan 28. This windboardshould be afflxed at a position high enough to prevent the headscarrying grain from being blown over it. A second partiallyincasedwind-fan 28 is located beneath the upper (rear) end of the first-namedinclined floor 12, the purpose of which is to produce an upward andrearward wind-blast through the sieve 13, which blast carries the chaffaway from the threshed grain. It is this windblast which carries thebefore-mentioned unthreshed heads over and off the sieve 13 and into theunderlying trough or chute 23, through which in turn they pass to theauxiliary cylinder and concave, as before described. A third partially-incased fan 29 is located directlyin the rear of the grain-conveyer 11,the purpose of which (like that of the firstnamed wind-fan 20) is toblow the straw and chaff out through the open rear end of the case 3.

A roller 30 is journaled in the parallel side walls of the case 3 at itsextreme rear end, and a system of similar rollers 31, arranged in asemicircle, are similarly journaled directly in front of the case of thelast-named wind-fan 29. These rollers 30 and 31 carry belts 32, (two ormore,) to which belts are affixed transverse slats 33, the whole forminga rattler or straw-carrier 34. This rattler 34 serves,--in connectionwith the before-mentioncd wind-blasts from the fans 20, 28, and 29, tocarry the straw and chaff out, off, and away from the case 3. 1

A belt-beater 35, consisting of a shaft having radial longitudinalflanges, (preferably two,) is located directly beneath the upper oroutwardly-moving portions of the belts 32, the purpose of which is toagitate the straw, thereby shaking out any loose grains therein, totossthe straw therefrom, and to keep it in condition to be acted upon bythe wind-blasts.

A vibrating fork 36 is located in the rear of the train of straw-beaters6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 and operates to agitate the straw and to toss it ontothe rattler or straw-carrier 34.

A platform 37 is hinged to the front end of the case 3, which platformserves when in a horizontal position (in which position it is supportedby the legs 38) for the feeder (the man feeding the machine) to standupon.

A table 39 serves to support the bundles of grain (the sheaves)temporarily as they are tossed to the feeder.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the measuring device 17, taken onthe line 6 6, (see Fig 2;) Fig. 7, an end View thereof; Fig. 8, a sideelevation of the straw-beater 6, and Fig. 9 a top view of the vibratingform 36.

The measuring device 17 consists of a shaft 40, to which is aflixed twocircular flanges 41, which flanges form the end pieces, and of thelongitudinal flanges 42, which flanges are radial to the said shaft 40and intermediate the said flanges 41, thus dividing the space lyingbetween the flanges 41 into two or more compartments, each of which isdesigned to hold one bushel of grain. This flanged shaft 40 is incasedby and revoluble within the cylinder 43, which cylinder is fashionedwith an ingress-port 44, through which the grain enters it, and with theexit-port 45, through which the said grain is discharged. One end of theshaft 40 extends out through the side wall of the case 3 and is providedwith a pulley 46, having as many flattened portions in its periphery asthere are compartments in the measuring device, (two or more,) as hereinshown. This pulley 46 serves as a stop for the revolving shaft 40, aswill hereinafter be set forth. A brake lever 47 is pivoted to the sideof the case3 at aproper point, a portion of which rests upon theflattened pulley 46. A poise or counterbalance 48 is mounted upon orsuspended from the lever 47 and is longitudinally movable thereon, thepurpose of which will hereinafter be disclosed.

The straw-beater 6 (shown detached in Fig. 8) consists of a shaft 49, towhich is affixed two circular flanges 50, (one at each end,) betweenwhich are radial bars 51, which bars (as the shaft is revolved) beat thestraw, as and for the purposes'above set forth. This constructionpermits the wind-blast from the fan 20 to pass through between thebeating-bars. The vibrating fork 36 consists of the shaft portion 52 andthe tines 53, affixed therein. One end of the shaft 52 extends outthrough the side wall of the case 3 and is provided with alaterally-bent portion 54, by means of which it is operated. Pivotallyafiixed to the outer vertical wall of the case 3 is a pulley 55, havinga crank-pin 56 afiixed therein, which crankpin (when the said pulley isrotated) will contact with and actuate (rock) the laterally-bent portion54 of the shaft 52, and thereby impart an oscillating movement to thetines 53.

The brake-lever 47 is designed to hold the grain-measuring device 17 inposition until one of the compartments thereof is filled, when theweight of the grain therein will'rotate the shaft 40 thereof, when thesaid grain will be discharged therefrom, falling into the conveyer 18,from which it is conveyed into the bags through one or the other of thespouts 19. As the shaft 40 is thus rotated the pulley 46, affixedthereon, will also be rotated, whereby the brake-lever 47 will beraised, (because of the flattened rim of the pulley 46,) the poise 43serving to determine at what time the lever 47 may raise and the shaft40 be permitted to revolve, thus weighing the grain.

The double spout 19 is to provide for attaching an empty bag whileanother is being filled, it being provided with a gate (not shown)adapted to be moved to conduct the grain into either spout and eitherbag.

The operation of my machine is as follows: The power being applied andthe cylinder 4 having attained to its maximum speed, the bundles ofgrain (the sheafs) are fed into the mouth of the machine, (the openingin front of the cylinder and concave,) where they are caught by thecylinder-teeth and drawn inward and downward between the said cylinderand the concave, whereby the grain is beaten therefrom. The grain thusbeaten out falls through between the transverse slats of thegrain-conveyer 11 and onto the inclined floor 12, up which it is drawnby the said transverse slats thereof, from which it is discharged intothe sieve 13, through which it is shaken, (the said sieve having avibratory movement common to all threshing-machine sieves,) falling ontothe inclined floor 14,down which it slides to the lower end of theelevator 15, from which it is carried upward by the conveyer 16 anddischarged into the measuring device 17, and thence (after it ismeasured) conveyed to bags through the spouts 19. I/Vhile the grain thusthreshed is being conveyed to the bags in the manner above described thestraw as it leaves the cylinder 4 is carried by the wind-blast from thefan 20 upward and rearward under the beater 6 and over the beaters'Z, 8,9, and 10, whereby the grain loosened by the cylinder-teeth is beatenout, falling upon the inclined floor, as above described. As the strawleaves the last-named beater 10 it is caught upon the vibrating form 36,which tosses it to the rattler 34, by means of which it is carried outof the case 3, the windfans 28 and 29 assisting in its flight orpassage. By thus tossing the straw about and keeping it scattered theblasts from the windfans tend to separate the cleanly-threshed strawfrom the unthreshed, (the before-mentioned heads,) which unthreshedportion is turned back, rethreshed by the auxiliary cylinderand concave,and the grain therefrom secured in the manner above described.

' I do not wish to confine myself to the exact construction andarrangement of the several parts herein described, for it is apparent tothe minds of those skilled in the art to which my invention appertainsthat the mechanical construction maybe changed without departing fromthe spirit and intent of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a threshing-machine, the combination with the cylinder andconcave, of a series of graduated rotary straw-beaters, arranged in anupwardly and rearwardly order, and in alinement with the said concave, afan mounted within a" casing located below and in front of saidcylinder, the said casing extending upwardly and rearwardly to form afloor, a grainconveyer located above and parallel therewith, formed of aseries of transverse slats adapted to convey the grain to an inclinedsieve, a blower located at the front and slightly under the end of saidscreen for separating the chaff from the grain, an inclined floorlocated below the said screen and a conveyer for receiving the grainfrom said inclined floor.

, 2. In a threshing-machine, the combination with the cylinder andconcave, of a wind-fan located below and to the front of said cylinderand within an upwardly-extending casing, said casing forming a floor, onwhich rides a grain-conveyer, a series of graduated rotary straw-beatersarranged above the said conveyer, a vibrating fork mounted on a shaftprovided with a laterally-bent portion, a pulley having a crank-pinpivotally fixed to the outer wall of the casing for engagement with thesaid laterally-bent portion to rock the same, an endless apron-carrierarranged below the said vibrating fork, a beater located beneath therattler, a wind-fan provided in the front end of said rattler, aninclined sieve and floor located beneath the same, a conveyer forreceiving the grain from said inclined sieve and floor.

3. In a threshing-machine, the combination with the cylinder andconcave, the graduated or chute located below the rear end of saidsieve, extending outward through the said casing, the auxiliary cylinderand auxiliary concave, a conveyer lying outside the said cas- I5 ing,and a spout extending from the said conveyer to the said sieve Withinthe casing.

LUTHER M. THOMSON.

Vitnesses:

H. J. Burns, A. T. FAY.

